Collapsible drinking-cup.



L. K. MEARKILE.

COLLAPSIBLE DRINKING CUP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1915.

1,212,878. Pa tented Jan. 16, 1917.

INVENTOR sas rrnevr o LOUIS K. MEARKLE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 DUQIIESNE SALES COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CQRPORATION OF DELA- WARE.

COLLAPSIBLE DRINKING-CUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 16, 1917.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LoUis K. MEARKLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Drinking-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

I have heretofore described in patents a collapsible drinking cup made with two metal sides and two sides and bottom made of flexible material.

My present invention comprises several improvements, especially in the construction of the folded material and its attachment to the metal sides, the primary objects being to insure the correct movements of the folds in the act of opening and closing, and to prevent the contained water from improperly distending the flexible material.

1 have illustrated the invention in the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire cup filled with water, and Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the middle of the same showing the form of the folds and the metal flange securing same.

Experiences have shown that after a little wear the weight of the water in such collapsible cups has had a tendency to depress the bottom fold of the flexible fabric, so that when an attempt is made to fold the cup again the fold does not always operate properly by folding in an upward direction. The problem was to make the flexible side sufficiently flexible to bulge outward at the top when the vessel was full of water, and yet not bulged outward at the bottom so as to disturb the folds. After much experiment I have found the solution of this problem in shortening the underside of the second fold.

The drawing shows a cup formed of alu minum sides 3 and 4:, having flanges 5, 6, and 7 turned down on the edges of the flexible walls 8 and 9. These walls have a bottom 10 which is virtually two planes arranged to fold upward in the middle, and the lateral sides of which fold inward in the double fold 11. Above this is an outward double fold 12 and again a reentrant double fold 13. Above the fold 13 the sides 8 and 9 ha e a Si ple inwa d fold along the line 14 Now the flange 5 which holds the side slightly increases in width toward the bottom. The flange 6 has an inward swell as .tained water distends laterally the flexible side, the pull is taken up by the underfold 12, and without allowing the ridge 15 to entirely straighten, and keeping the ridge 16 still farther from a line position. In other words neither of the folds is allowed to assume a position which might possibly prevent its return to the normal inwardly folded position. This has the additional advantage that no fold of the flexible material is reversed at any time. It also makes the cup more rigid when it is filled with water, gives it a better appearance by making the cup larger at the top than at the bottom, and renders more easy the outwardly bagging action of the top X of the flexible side so as to fit the lip and make drinking easier.

In the construction shown it will also be noted that the metal flange 6 has at the bottom a horizontal extension 6' taking over the ridge fold 16. This increases the strength of the fastening by making any pull on this ridge take effect not only on the bottom flange 7, but also in a somewhat downwarddirection on the large diagonal flange 6. It will be noted also that on the back sides of the metal flanges 5 and 6 I provide slight indentations of the metal, which I find very efficient in preventing the flexible material from pulling out of place. These features of construction are furthermore of importance because, as will be understood from my former Patent, No. 1,133,050, of March 23, 1915, the locking of the cup by the side 4 taking under the overturned lip flange 17 at the top, is accomplished more or less automatically when the bottom of the cup is collapsed, and these folds of flexible material give the metal side 41 an upward sliding motion in the act of folding, and also entirely prevent any loosening of the locking lip so long as the cup is folded in the pocket.

Other advantages of the improvements will occur to those familiar with the art.

Having thus described my improvements and their use, what I claim is the following:

1. A collapsible drinking cup composed of two stifl sides and two sides and bottom formed of flexible material, a plurality of compound inward and upward folds in the flexible material, with the underside of the topmost fold shorter than the bottom fold, substantially as described.

2. A collapsible Vessel made with two stiff sides and two sides and bottom of folded flexible material, a pair of inward and up ward folds laterally in the latter attached at the sides of the folds to the stiff sides so that the underside of the topmost fold is shorter than its upper side, and the upper side of the bottom fold is shorter than its bottom side, substantially as described.

3. A collapsible drinking cup composed of two stiff sides and two sides and bottom made of double folded flexible material at tached to said stifl' sides by clamping under flanges, the flange by which the under side of the upper of the folds of the flexible material is held being wider than the clamping flange on the upper side of the fold.

4. A collapsible drinking cup composed of two metal sides having inward bent clamping flanges and two sides and bottom formed of folded flexible material clamped under said flanges, said flexible material being provided with two compound upward and inward folds in the bottom, and said clamps arranged to prevent the entire straightening of the folding ridges when the vessel is distended.

5. In a collapsible vessel composed of two metal sides and two sides and bottom made of folded flexible material clamped to said metal sides, a clamping flange, having its vertical part gradually widened toward the bottom, and below this a diagonal flange wider than the vertical flange at its middle portion and narrower at its bottom, ending in a notch, beyond which it has a short extension in a horizontal direction, whereby to prevent entire flattening of the folds whenfthe cup is opened.

6. A collapsible drinking cup comprising two metal sides and two sides and bottom made of folded flexible material attached to the metal sides by flanges thereon, and said flanges being of Varying width and adapted to take up more of the material on the un derside than at the top side of the folds, whereby to prevent the folds completely flattening out. v

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses.

LOUIS K. MEARKLE,

Witnesses MAURICE A. MAGKEY, GEORGE BEYERLEIN.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratenh.

Washington, D. G. 

